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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Your Highness, friends,

I wish you a warm welcome to Moscow.

Monaco is a small country, but it is an important European financial centre and we have been building up very good relations over many years now. Looking through the reference information, I see that Monaco is home to 40 banks with total capital of $60 billion. This makes it a very solid European financial centre.

Thanks to your active political and public efforts we are able to maintain regular contacts.

I want to say that Russia has joined the Mediterranean Science Commission. We have done this because the Black Sea basin is directly adjacent to the Mediterranean, and this makes them practically one ecosystem. We will therefore have the chance to work together in this area.

Your Highness, we are particularly grateful to you for supporting the Sochi Olympics and the whole pre-Olympics process.

I wish you welcome.

Prince Albert II of Monaco (re-translated): Mr President,

On behalf of myself and the entire Monaco delegation that has come on this official visit, I thank you sincerely for the warm reception. This is not our first visit, and we have always been very warmly received. We value this warmth on your part.

You mentioned the economic relations between our countries. In the economic area, I cannot but highlight that over the last two years, despite the rather difficult global economic context, we have managed to stay afloat and our figures are quite positive. I am very pleased that today’s visit will give us the chance to discuss various economic matters, including at the meeting between representatives of our chambers of commerce and industry. Our delegations have already met and today will continue their close contacts with key players on the Russian economic market. We are pleased to have this opportunity in such full format. 

As you just noted, Mr President, today is an important day because the Russian Federation has joined the international Mediterranean Science Commission. This is good news, positive news. I am personally very pleased that this has taken place. I was present this morning at the signing of the agreement making Russia the 24^th country to have joined this wonderful international commission. 

I am sure that this will enable us to expand our scientific activity to study the various ecosystems of such great importance for the Mediterranean and Black Sea waters, which have always been studied in tandem. I am pleased that Russian scientists will make a contribution to this work. They were already involved in the commission’s work before the Russian Federation joined, but there was not such an official and regular basis for this cooperation. Now, we can work together fully to further the scientific research in this area. Thank you for making a positive decision on this matter and thank you for personally supporting Russia’s membership of the commission.

I also want to say that Princess Charlene and I will return with great pleasure to Russia in a few months’ time to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Sochi. We are looking forward to the event, and also to the start of the Olympic flame relay, which we will attend together with you.

Thank you.